Lost In Myst
by Myst Youkai
Summary: OC warning. Just the one, though. Not a dark or overly serious work. Rated T just to be safe. The other side of immortality, lost in the mists of other worlds and other times. The eternity of those who are truly lost leaves questions but no answers...
1. Chapter 1

"Lost, lost, hopelessly lost."

A singsong voice rang out through the Bamboo Forest of the Lost.

"Lost lost lost, truly lost."

A light and airy tone that could be considered careless or relaxed.

"An immortal, lost, with not a soul around"

The bamboo rustled gently as a tall shape, about 5'10, moved through it.

"No food, no water, just lost lost lost."

It had silvery hair that was slightly longer in the back, and windswept on the forehead

"All the pain, none of the gain, lost and lost some more"

Diamond-like eyes sparkling in multiple colors looked around at the vast, endless bamboo

"I sing to myself a song of lost, for no reason but who cares I'm lost"

On several places on his body, flat, silvery metal bars adorn his figure. About three inches in width, always ending in a large eyehole shape with a sharp point.

"I'm lost, my voice is lost, lost and lost like the mist"

To be exact, he had one each between his ears and eyes, one extending from each first knuckle on his hands like claws, two on each side of each foot, and most noticeably three pairs of "wings", each made out of two long ones connected to eachother, with a hidden third joint at the base that added great flexibility. Occasionally one wing would flick forward to cut away a bamboo stalk; all the bars were bladed on both sides with sharp edges.

"Ever I'm lost, wandering lost, hopelessly lost lost lost."

He wore a red shirt and shorts, but had on an azure robe on top of it. He had a wristband depicting an artist's idea of swirling mist on his right arm, and a headband of orange and black.

"Lost, lost, lostly lostity lostlessly enlost."

He had been walking in a more or less straight line for about three hours. He was sure he could smell food, but then it could be his senses fooling him again.

"Lost, lost, lost lost lost lost lostlostlostlostlostlost- eh?"

The bamboo finally gave into a clearing of scorched earth.

He examined it for a while. It had been a particularly hot blast and had been thrown diagonally, from what he could tell. It hadn't hit the target, as there had been no disturbance in the distribution of flame.

"How very curious", mused the figure. "I wonder who would cause a blast like that? Or rather, what?"

"Ha, like I'm one to talk. Oh well, still lost."

The figure walked past the scorched earth, and before very long came upon another clearing. A road of some sort, stretching into the distance either way.

"Oh lookie, a road. I could follow the road." The figure looked up and thought for a moment.

"I could also stop talking to myself, but why would I do that? Hm, following the road is the more reasonable conclusion."

And with this curious deduction, the figure headed right until he eventually came upon a very rich-looking place that looked to have just recovered from a fire

He examined it for a while. The only residents seemed to be rabbits. They weren't very coordinated, either…

And he was hungry, anyway.

He sauntered up to the fancy gate, and considered it for a while. He touched one claw to it, which glowed momentarily…

"Hah, silver. How silly… gates are made to keep things out, not look fancy."

Before the figure could do anything else, a rather tall rabbit with purple hair and red eyes walked up to the gate.

"Are you here for Eirin? Or is there something else?" She asked. Quite politely, too.

The figure studied her for a moment, avoiding her eyes which made him dizzy.

"I suppose I'll be honest. Where am I, who are you, who is Eirin, and why are you in the middle of a giant bamboo forest with the skeletons of those who got lost in it?"

The rabbit paused for a moment, considering the questions.

"My name is Reisen, you're at Eientei, Eirin is our doctor and a medical genius people usually come to see, and why we're here I can't answer, sorry. So who are you, then?"

The figure raised one eyebrow, then took a few seconds to remember his name.

"If I remember correctly my name is Shingetsu. I can't remember what I am, but I can control mist, so there's that."

Reisen nodded, before speaking again "Is there anything we can do for you, then?"

Shingetsu nodded in return. "Actually, I could really-"

Before he could finish the sentence, a huge blast of fire rocketed over Eientei, followed by what was probably supposed to be a battle cry. Shingetsu looked up, and started laughing.

'_That has got to be the funniest thing I've ever seen, A dainty princess and some long-haired girl in suspenders going at it with energy balls and fire.'_

Reisen tried to warn him against it, but before very long the two combatants noticed.

By the time Shingestu had calmed down, the two were in front of him, with a look on their faces that said "Don't interrupt our fighting."

Shingetsu froze, and slowly smiled "Well, aren't I popular today?"

"Who are you?" Asked the princess. Shingetsu stood up straight and gave his name, still grinning.

"I'm Shingetsu, mist… Mist… Hm, I forgot what I am. Mist something extraordinaire, let's go with that. I have been lost in your bloody forest for two years and as you can imagine, I'm hungry."

"Two _years!?_"

Shingetsu turned his attention the now-shocked suspenders girl.

"Yeah, I have this annoying little thing called immortality. Have you ever really wanted to die, and can't? Not even a disintegration spells works."

Shingetsu stopped smiling. The two were giving him a very odd look.

"…Okay, points for staring at me, what did I do? Turn purple?"

"You may as well have" said Reisen.


	2. Chapter 2

_So, I should probably elaborate._

_When I say rabbits, I mean humanoid rabbits Bunny ears, bunny tail, rest is human. The girl, Reisen, was quite nice. She had on a formal black suit with a red tie, contrasted by a tiny skirt. Also she had little yellow pins in her ears. I guess that's their version of earrings._

_Suspenders girl wore, well, suspenders. Red ones with lots of paper things on them. Also a white shirt. She had long; I mean LONG white hair, with more paper things made into bows in it. Came down to just above her feet. Oh yeah, and she and Reisen both have red eyes._

_And then there's the princess. She wears what you would get if you took a skirt and tried to make a shirtlike top half with long sleeves for a one piece. It was very purple and pink. She also had long black hair. I mentioned before Reisen had long purple hair. Neither come even close to suspenders girl, but apparently that's a thing here._

_Anyway, Reisen said she'd explain it to me, shortly after princess muttered something that suspenders took offense to. I couldn't hear it but apparently they're trying to kill eachother again. Oh, and I get to eat. Been a while, I wonder if my stomach remembers how everything works?_

_Anyway, I should probably pay attention again…_

"So, anyway, I'll make sure you meet them, since I guess you'll be here for a little while."

_Should have paid attention sooner. I really hope Reisen sees fit to repeat that later…_

"Right, right… So, food?" Asked Shingetsu.

Reisen sighed. "Yes, I'm getting to that. What I would like to know is where you came from and why you're immortal." She paused for a moment, then sighed again "Well, okay, _I _don't really care, but Eirin wants to know."

"I see. Well, I don't know where I came from or why I'm immortal. Nor do I remember what I am, why I can use mist, or-"

Reisen looked back over her shoulder as she walked. "Mist? That doesn't sound like much"

Shingetsu grinned. He was used to this. "Exactly."

Reisen just shook her head and led him into a spacious room. There was a person wearing red and blue over in the corner that Shingetsu very nearly missed, mainly because there was also a table with food on it. After assuring himself the food was real, he looked around and found, to his amusement, that suspenders girl and the princess had been sat down as well, but were still glaring daggers at eachother.

A moment later he noticed the only reason they were behaving was the red-blue. She was wearing a nurse outfit that had had the skirt extended way down like a robe, and it was blue and red with constellation patterns. She had grayish white hair tied in a rope and an unamused, or perhaps tired look on her face.

Reisen walked up to the red-blue and stood at her side. The red-blue then took a couple steps forward to face Shingetsu

"My name is Eirin Yagokoro. You have already met Reisen Udongein; and these two are Fujiwara No Mokou, the fiery one, and Kaguya Houraisan, our princess. May I have your name?"

_How very formal of you._

Shingetsu smiled, stood straight, and answered. "My name is Shingetsu… Um… Shingetsu Iforgotmylastname, a mist-user of forgotten identity who is immortal for reasons I have also forgotten."

This received a blank stare from all around the room. Despite his memory predicament, Shingetsu found this funny. Eirin spoke again after a few moments' consideration.

"I see… Please, sit down and eat if you like. Reisen tells me you would like to know why your immortality is being taken rather… Strangely, here."

Normally Shingetsu would have agreed, but he was busy eating in a way that dropped the jaws of everyone in the room. It wasn't that he ate fast or barbarically; it was more that he attacked the food as if it were his mortal enemy, and before very long everything in his reach was gone, sometimes without anyone noticing where it had gone. Finally, Shingetsu did answer.

"Yeah, that would be nice."

Eirin was the first to recover, and composed herself before continuing.

"I created an elixir of immortality I called the Hourai elixir, some time ago. I and Kaguya took the elixir, and though it was not my intention, Mokou did as well. Due to this elixir you can die, but you will simply regenerate every time." Eirin paused for a moment to glare at Mokou and Kaguya. "These two have spent the majority of their immortality killing eachother, over and over, in a progressively more… Unique manner."

_Well, that explains the barely restrained hatred._

"My immortality is a bit different. I can't die, period. Whatever wounds or pains I acquire, I keep until my body heals it. I was once crushed to a paste and stayed that way for a good three years before I was normal again. Had to live through the pain the entire time. Needless to say I have built up a pain tolerance that borders on numbness."

Shingetsu smiled again, a happy and careless attitude constantly pervading the air around him. "That's alright, though. It's not the pain that gets you over time. It's the loneliness and everyone you know dying while you don't. I can see why you …" He gestured torward Mokou. "… haven't been driven crazy by it. You're in a place that is so isolated you don't have to deal with new people, and you've got your girlfriend here for the present."

The reaction on Mokou and Kaguya's faces was absolutely priceless as far as Shingetsu was concerned. It was a mixture of sympathy, thoughtfulness about immortality, and absolute outrage. Kaguya's mouth opened as if to say something, but it seemed she couldn't quite decide what to say. Reisen, too, was speechless and frozen; but then she hadn't quite gotten over his war on food, either. Eirin was the only one who was managing to keep up, and Shingetsu suspected this was largely because she had to deal with Mokou and Kaguya.

It was a few seconds after this loud silence that he felt a slight tug on one of his wings. He looked over…

…And there was a little string tied into the eyehole of the lower right wing. It trailed out of the room, and then up…

…And then he saw in the passage on the other side of the room, a small humanoid rabbit in a pink dress holding a heavy brick with a string attached to it. To be precise, she was on a ladder, holding it up against a removed section of ceiling with a string going in it…

…And then she dropped it.

After getting himself slammed against the ceiling via string, Shingetsu was understandably irritable. But as far as Eirin was concerned, this did not constitute tearing the ceiling and the string apart with his five other bladed wings, and then terrifying Reisen by tearing right past her and across the room at top speed. Terrifying Tewi (that was apparently the prankster's name) was acceptable.

"So now you've basically met everyone at Eientei, save the numerous Inaba. You have no idea of your past or even what you are. May I inquire as to what you're going to do now?"

Shingetsu thought about Eirin's question.

"No idea. Never really had an idea in the first place."

"You came here, did you not?"

"Well, my stomach knew what to do. Seemed better than wandering."

Eirin sighed, somewhat frustratedly. "You're as bad as Mokou. Do you always just do whatever whim takes you?"

"Pretty much. Don't have anything better to do, now do I? I will say this is a very lively place. I don't think I'd mind sticking around this forest, what with you three being as eternal as I am."

"And where are you going to stay?"

Kaguya spoke up at this point, acting as charming as possible. "We have plenty of spare rooms, and we're not short on food, if you'd like to stay here."

Mokou glared at her suspiciously. "What are you so eager about, mophead?"

Kaguya returned the glare. "Unlike you, I have some idea of how to be courteous!"

Shingetsu grinned. "You know, I don't think it matters where I stay, so long as I can watch you two argue. This is like comedy."

This earned him a glare from both of them, which only amused him further.

Mokou sighed. "I'm going back home."

"Oi, you have a home of your own? I thought you lived here." Said Shingetsu.

Mokou gave a short laugh. "Hell no. If I had to live anywhere near Kaguya, this place would have burned down long ago."

Shingetsu nodded sagely. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense."

Eirin spoke before Kaguya could make another sales pitch / insult aimed at Mokou. "I believe the Myouren temple is somewhere nearby, at the fringes of the forest. They take in humans, youkai, anyone… Though you will likely be expected to at least help with some of the chores."

"Is that so? Hm, certainly sounds like a nice place. I think I'll stick in this general area for now, though, maybe show up at the next festival thingy and meet some people. And in the meantime I can watch those two!" Shingetsu replied.

Kaguya took the opportunity. "So will you be staying here?"

Shingetsu pretended to think about it. "I prefer living alone. I'll make sure to visit you and Mokou from time to time, though."

Eirin interjected again. "Very well. But if you will, I would like to examine you some time. Your particular immortality interests me."

"I suppose I won't object to that. Anyway, I'll be seein' ya!" And with that, Shingetsu pulled his favorite trick: dispersing himself into a thick cloud of mist and fading out and away.

_Whoo, that's a lot to think about. Myouren temple, hourai elixir, inaba, Reisen in a coma, so on so forth. I think I'll find a space between Moky and Kagu and make myself a little hovel thing, watch them fight. Maybe join in, who knows? I could use some fun._

_That's what's most important, after all._


	3. Chapter 3

_Strangely, you get used to Mokou and Kaguya pretty quickly. Sure, a disembodied head rolls by every once in a while, but on the whole it's a good show. Besides, they have such short tempers that they'll get angry at anything; but they're more willing to take it out on each other, rather than on whoever was actually irritating them._

_And I learned all this in no less than a single day after I met them._

_I haven't visited Myouren yet, so I figure I should do that now. The question, of course, is how much I should aggravate my 'neighbors' before I do._

Shingetsu got up from his little bamboo nest and stretched; it was misty today, but the sun was bright. A good combination, in his opinion. And so, as he walked through the bamboo in the general direction of Myouren, he was slightly disappointed that it was interrupted by Kaguya's burning figure flying across the sky like a meteor. Only slightly, though.

"You can make a wish on a shooting star." Mused Shingetsu to himself, as Mokou shot past in full flames, following Kaguya. "I wonder if a shooting maniac counts."

_Although it does kind of rob me of the chance to aggravate them myself… I suppose I'll just have to make up for it later._

Shingetsu chuckled to himself as he walked on. Eventually he gave the task of finding Myouren to the back of his brain and became lost in his thoughts. He wondered what Myouren would be like. Perhaps a grand cathedral with many priests wandering about? Perhaps a modest shrine with statues? Perhaps one of those weird places that you can't really define with flattering words, but that always smells vaguely of mayonnaise?

Shingetsu stopped suddenly, as his brain was trying to tell him something.

…Perhaps a tiger youkai chasing a mouse youkai in a frantic and ungraceful fashion, egged on by a sailor in front of what looked like a converted boat, with a rather amused tanuki watching from atop the entrance?

Nobody around here was nearly as elegant as they were supposed to be. Maniac princesses, experimenting doctors, prankster servants… At least Mokou had an excuse.

_Or at least I think she does. It's hard to tell._

Shingetsu chose to avoid the shenanigans; he converted himself into mist and silently entered the boat temple thing. No one noticed, which immediately put him on edge. Normally there was at least a murmur of some occult rumor regarding some long-dead myth about sudden mist. Every other time his mist form was greeted with silence, it was because there were hunters waiting for him to reform.

That wasn't exactly a bad thing, though. Hunters didn't taste very good, kind of gamey really, but it was better than nothing. Regardless, Shingetsu snuck along the corridors in gaseous form, waiting to see if he could find someone who might conceivably be important. Almost certainly this would be the person sensible enough to realize that magic was all around them, and would be wearing something that was either very or hardly revealing. Possibly with a second set of, or no, underwear.

Unfortunately, he'd found two people who fit those descriptions. One was wearing a skirt so short that it only really qualified as a frilly extension to the shirt. It was black, with a red bit on it. She had red bladey wings… Curved, and edged on one side, unlike Shingetsu's wings… And blue spade tail things placed like wings on her back. Her hair was black, eyes, red, with little black shoes and a black trident with a green snake on her arm, and a black armband. Black black black, except for the underwear.

The other had a lot of clothing on. White underrobe, white robe, purpleish overrobe thing. She was holding two purple sticks in one hand, and had hazel-ish eyes. Very long socks with white things on them, a sort of strange two-colored hair, A nice robe with a red on the inside, a sort of pervanding calm that she wore like clothes. And thick underwear.

Mist floats along the floor. This is not necessarily a disadvantageous viewpoint.

It sounded (and looked) like Blacky was being admonished for eating something. This meant that the calm one was probably in charge, which was almost certainly preferable. Not for any particular reason, just on general principle.

One of Shingetsu's favorite tricks was vanishing via mist. It took second place compared to the reverse of this, for reasons that should be obvious. These reasons become considerably more obvious given a selection of the most common reactions. In THIS case, however, Shingetsu had to consider that perhaps a rare reaction was not necessarily better. When you pop out of nowhere, you expect a good scream, maybe someone fainting, at least someone spazzing out. You don't expect one to look at you as if you walked in like a normal person.

Blacky spazzed, though, which made him feel better. It made him feel less better when her immediate response was to pin him against a wall with a lot little circular floaty colorful things. And it made him feel much better when he realized that, in her rush, she'd torn her shoe and some of the wood of the floor of when she jerked because she hadn't put the trident down. And it made him feel not quite better that, in doing so, the shoe had been whipped up and shot at his head.

All in all, he'd had better. But at least it was… New.

Showing either a nonexistent self of preservation that was often possessed by religious types, an overconfidence that bordered on insanity*, or a love that extended to ignoring that other people didn't think like that**, the calm one turned around and introduced herself.

"My name is Byakuren Hijiri. This is Myouren Temple; is there something we can do for you, stranger?"

And of course, "Stranger" was said in that way that suggests one ought to tell one's name.

Shingetsu smiled, storing away in his memory that it, that is the memory in question, was really bloody useless.

"Give me a moment to remember. I'm sure it will come to me sometime before the turn of the century."

Blacky's eyes glowed. "Let's hope for sooner rather than later." Her tone was that kind of sinister yet sarcastic tone owned by waiters who always ended up waiting the people who gave low tips and found at least four things to complain about, and had a one in three chance of wanting the manager, who was generally asleep or clipping his toenails… But the waiter that knew very well there was a portion of the kitchen in which they could walk alone, and no one would see them spit in the food, and it would feel wonderful to do that or at least threaten the annoying people in question.

There are possibly ways to shorten that description, but dictionaries are never around when you really need them.***

(*Also possessed by religious types.)

(**Also possessed by religious types, except for older nuns, who are more concerned with your sin and the removal thereof.)

(***Like when you need to throw them at other people.)


	4. Chapter 4

_So let's review here._

_Firstly, temples around here are actually boats._

_Secondly, the people with thick underwear are in charge and the people with next to none will kill you._

_Thirdly, it seems to me that everyone I've met is female._

_Fourthly, the tanuki tried to flirt with me. But you'll see that here soon, so I suppose I shouldn't be thinking that yet?_

…_Fifthly, I should stop breaking the fourth wall when I think. But it's hard not to, because nobody defines what the first three walls were._

Shingetsu took a minute or two to recall his name, upon which he smiled as brighty as he could and replied to the scarcely-dressed but very threatening youkai who had pinned him with the colorful things.

"If my memory serves, although it usually doesn't, my name is Shingetsu."

The youkai raised one eyebrow. "Shingetsu what?"

"Shingetsu Iforgotmylastname, the mist extraordinaire."

Byakuren said nothing. But it was that kind of silence that ordered people to speak.

Finally the youkai growled, and responded. "I'm Nue Houjuu. Now why are you here and why did you appear from nowhere?"

"I'm here because the lunatics recommended you. Also, I appeared from here. Appearing from nowhere is a lot harder."

Much to Shingetsu's delight, Nue's eyes glowed with anger. Before Byakuren could say anything, he made it worse.

"Wait, are you a nue? Or did you just want to be one? Seems kinda weird to name yourself after a species."

And then he turned to mist again.

"I'M GOING TO-"

Quite suddenly, both Shingetsu (Who was no longer mist) and Nue were standing straight before Byakuren, held by magic.

"That's quite enough, Nue. As for you, Shingetsu, if you plan to stay you should meet the others and learn what you'll be doing."

Shingetsu couldn't help himself. "You mean the ones who were practically wrestling in the dirt outside?"

Byakuren took a deep breath before she replied. "I really hope not. Nue, go find everyone else and bring them to the table. Shingetsu, follow me."

Shingetsu obeyed unquestioningly. It had been a very long time since anyone had forced him out of his mist form. Turning into so many gaseous, water-laden particles was usually enough to give magicians a migraine. As he walked, he observed that the temple was almost entirely wooden… Not surprising, it being a boat and all… And was rather modest but still comfortable-looking.

They came to a rather large table. It had nice chairs, nice silverware, a nice atmosphere… Everything had an air of "nice" that felt like it just barely suppressed other things. Already seated was a nun-looking woman in blue and white. Byakuren lead Shingetsu to a seat that, he noticed, was next to a chair slightly larger than the others, where she promptly sat down. Before very long, Nue came in with the others who had been messing around. Byakuren wasted no time.

"Everyone, this is Shingetsu. He may be staying for a time, so I'd like you all to introduce yourselves." She spoke kindly, but with a commanding tone.

The little gray mouse youkai stood up. She had a cheerful disposition, from what Shingetsu could tell.

"Heya! I'm Nazrin! The tiger next to me is my master, Shou Toramaru! Good t'meet ya, Shinge!"

Shou looked a little vexed and a little grateful at the same time that she'd been skipped over.

Then the sailor ghost person stood up. She was the kind of person who managed to seem sober and drunk at the same time. "I'm Captain Murasa Minamitsu. Welcome to Myouren!"

The tanuki didn't get up, as she seemed more interested in her bottle of sake and very relaxed position. "Heyaa, Shinge~ M'name's Mamizou Futatsuiwa. Stick around a while~!" Check that, very interested in her sake.

The nun smiled with the same serenity that Byakuren had. "My name is Kumoi Ichirin. My partner here is Unzan. I hope you'll enjoy it here." Unzan, who was apparently a cloud with a face, said nothing. There was silence for a moment, then a very marked silence. Finally, Nue spoke. "And I'm Nue Houjuu, though you already know that."

Byakuren seemed to calm down. "I'm Byakuren Hijiri. This is Myouren Temple, dedicated to my brother Myouren Hijiri. Here, we hope to bring peace between humans and youkai. If you are going to stay here, you will be expected to conduct yourself accordingly; and to help out."

Shingetsu considered this. It certainly had all the good points. A ruleset rife with prank opportunities, someone who was already mad at him, a way to pay back whatever mayhem he caused, and a variety of people to talk to.

"Thank you. I think I'll stay for a little while at least; I'm trying to get to know the area. I greatly appreciate your hospitality; if it's no bother, may I ask someone to show me around?"

Shou immediately stood up, looking rather happy to have a purpose. "I can do that, Miss Byakuren!"

Shingetsu spent the rest of his day being shown all the various facets of Myouren, and helping with some of them. First off, it really was a boat. Except it was a giant boat. That flew. That came across to Shingetsu as a major magical feat. Despite this, life was relatively normal. Meditation, gardening, and other productive habits; weaving and crafting figured largely; were part of regular life. There was also a certain level of training expected, and there were in fact a solid set of rules that mainly boiled down to general politeness and courtesy. There were but two unusual rules. Well, actually there were three, but the third was easy to understand. It read simply, "Fujiwara No Mokou may not enter at the same time as Kaguya Houraisan, and vice versa." The other two strange rules were "Shapeshifters are not inclined to disclose their true forms and it is considered polite not to ask.", and "Do not ask us about fish, cheese, old men, anchors, air muscles, unidentified flying objects, or gingerbread men armies."

The first one seemed sensible enough, if unusual. The second one was just strange.

Later on Shingetsu was given a small room. It was made entirely of wood, the window being basically a hole in the wall. It had some nice shelves, a trunk for keeping things in, and a sizeable hammock for sleeping that looked very clean. There were some blankets and pillows and, strangely, a tiny plushie depicting Byakuren with cat features.

Shingetsu didn't understand it, but it was about the same size as the pillow and was quite comfortable anyway. Besides, he suspected he was going to have to get used to strange around here. But that was for morning.

…He hoped he didn't have to get up very early.


	5. Chapter 5

_You see what I did there? That's called foreshadowing. It's the kind called "Laugh at my pain", in which the main character's dread practically guarantees that the thing being dreaded happens._

_As a matter of fact, Myouren temple sleeps in._

_Bet you half a dollar I fooled everybody._

_HA._

Shingetsu woke up around one o' clock, and was greeted by Mamizou standing over his bed.

"Nue wants me to see what ye're made out of so she can have vengeance wi'out lookin' like she is."

Shingetsu considered this. Unlike most people who just got up, he wasn't groggy. This is because most people get up at ridiculous hours, the poor fools.

"Very considerate of you."

And then, suddenly, a weakness. Or, something like it. It was more like a feeling of distance, a non-physical rush. Shingetsu staggered, started to fall over…

"Are ya okay, Shinge…?"

"Shinge…"

Shinge…

_Shinge…_

_Shingetsu…_

_My name is Shingetsu Arke._

_I am an outcast shinigami. Fact, you will want to know what that means. Fact, I will have to explain something first._

_Understand. There are two types of shinigami. Reapers and ferrymen… Or ferrywomen._

_Understand. Reapers are the ones who go out and collect souls of the dead. Analogy, they can be considered contracted deliverymen in this business of the dead._

_Understand. Ferrymen and ferrywomen receive these souls and ferry them across the Sanzu river, or dump them in if required. Analogy, they can be considered clerks, in that they organize things and send them where they need to be, but it never stops with them._

_Understand. Either way they are eventually brought to the Yamas, who pass judgement in varying means and methods._

_Understand. Neither type of shinigami does the other's job, indeed they are incapable. Fact, reapers cannot manipulate the Sanzu or take the money of the dead. Fact, ferrymen and ferrywomen cannot sever the cord that connects the soul to the deceased body. Note, a ferryman or ferrywoman's scythe is still exquisitely sharp all the same and can kill the regular way._

_Understand. There are a few exceptions, where one would try to do the other's job and, to the consternation of many, succeed. Understand, these few are always asked to go away quietly and retire so they don't cause problems. Note, some have tried to do the other side's job to get away from work. Fact, it never works that way, as they generally do not have the raw determination and strength of mind._

_Understand. I have been forcibly isolated, as I endeavored to take justice into my own hands. Fact, I left quite the dreadful impression upon the living races before I was hidden away. Fact, I live comfortably, in the same retirement as others, but alone. Fact, I must accept my fate._

_Fact, I have come to think in this rather eccentric style, and many others, to pass the time._

_Really I have no use for it. I've come into a number of strange habits, as I have little better to do. For instance, I own a gold scythe. Gold is malleable and hardly good weapon material, so I mixed it with onyx and flint. I now have a beautiful and deadly weapon; streaks and flecks of black and gold make up the long, narrow blade, attached to a black staff the same length as a quarterstaff. It also has quite high magical potency, and can for instance…_

…_Oh…_

…_Well now…_

_I can feel a faint tugging at my very core. A summoning? Impossible… Well, technically not. But my name is only mentioned with great dread among the sentient races… A human. It would have to be a human. They are such a curious race… They'll do practically anything, often just to do it. I must admit I've become a little obsessed with them. I prefer the term connoisseur, though._

_The tugging is stronger. I am! I am being summoned, and I wonder by who. Who would be so foolish as to summon a shinigami who was locked away by others of his kin? I suppose I'll find out shortly._

_I adjust my clothes. I wear a black kimono with various phrases I like sewn in white kanji into the fabric any old where. It's a very long kimono, a one piece robe from shoulders to ankles. It is secured at the waist by a sash. I wear curved rectangular glasses with thin rims. I don't actually need them, but I find it goes well with everything else. My eyes are lilac, my hair black with flecks of light brown, my skin the color of fog, in various whites and grays. I adjust my scythe and allows myself to be pulled by the summons…_

_The first thing I do is check the summoning circle, or pentacle. Nice solid construction, lots of additional protections. A cursory glance reveals five more tied into the first. This makes me smile; it's nice to be treated with the proper amount of fear and respect._

_Immediately, I leap at the opposing pentacle with the summoner, with a roar like a manticore, scythe held to strike. This is just to frighten a possible inexperienced or faint of heart into stepping outside the protective circle. I stop just short of the boundaries of my own and strike it with my scythe, blowing up a great shower of sparks. I step back gingerly, and examine whoever dared…_

…_And immediately two warning signs went off. First, she was grinning and apparently unfazed. Second, she was instead talking excitedly about science and magic working perfectly. And then a third went off; she was wearing a cape. That couldn't possibly be good. Capes were worn by people who… It wasn't exactly that they didn't value their lives or yours, but rather that their latest obsession takes priority and makes them forget they need it. Their life, or that of others, that is._

_She mentioned something about an experiment, and summoning me again later. I didn't even have time to process everything and give her some proper threats. After all, it is entirely accepted that the things you summon want to kill you. But now I was dismissed back home… And with high hopes. Things would soon get interesting again…_

_Interesting…_

Interesting…

"Interesting… Oh, ye're awake?"

Shingetsu got to his feet. Curious, he didn't feel weak or anything… Perhaps a big breakfast was in order.

"Yeah, I'm good, Mami. Thanks… I think I'll try and wake up and eat some before fighting people today, though."

Mamizou's smile got wider, and she walked out, giant fluffy tail moving in figure-eights. "Works for me, Shinge. Good luck wi'at~!"

Shingetsu nodded, and stretched his metallic wings before walking out to see what the day would have to offer. He still couldn't quite shake the feeling that, for a moment there, something had been very wrong. As if that weren't curious enough, he now had an image of a very red-colored magician-looking person fixed in his mind…

All very curious… But things weren't fun otherwise. Well, technically they would be, what with Nue around to have fun with. But that was going to happen anyway. Overall, things were looking up.

_Overall, things were looking up._


	6. Chapter 6

_I learned a lot of things in this short time. One, anyone with a tail acts weird. In Mamizou's case I think it's just the sake, but she does have a very large tail. Very soft, too. Shou's is just frizzy, and Nue's… I'm not sure if they count._

_Byakuren is, overall, the peacekeeper, and Kumoi helps a little. Also, Murasa really enjoys telling stories. Nazrin likes interrupting them, and just about anything else. She also enjoys trying to play tunes on my wings with her rods. Nue's basically the bad girl, and Shou just kind of flusters her way through life. Yes, you can verb fluster. You can verb verb, too._

_I CAN VERB THINGS. Including the words things. I can things everything to verb._

_Words are fun. Personalities are fun. The most fun in the world can be found by playing with these things._

For Shingetsu, the morning was dull. As soon as he had gotten dressed (which took a while, given the bladed wings) and got out of bed, he was accosted by Nazrin for helping with breakfast. Now, at first, this seemed a good idea. But after about five minutes in the kitchen, you realize that Shou is the cook and you're only there to try and catch things she knocks over and clean up the mess _as she makes it_ or she'll knock more things over.

Breakfast itself was not a terrible improvement. Although Byakuren was not vegetarian in principle, she was in practice, if only because the inhabitants of Myouren found it hard to get meat. As a result, there was a little salted pork, and then it was all nuts, fruits, and green things. Nue seemed particularly perturbed by this, and nearly refused to eat some of the green, but Byakuren smiled at her.

On the positive side, Shou had been funny. Shingetsu now had a way to tease Nue, as if he didn't have enough ways already. And, although he wasn't sure whether it was good or not, Mamizou had continued to make small flirtations at random.

And all this while he still had a sense of discomfort. He wasn't sure what had happened earlier, but he was certain that it was in his memory somewhere. Too bad his memory was shot, really. A lot of people think it goes with age; in fact, it goes with time. Practically the same thing for most people.

And that, Shingetsu reflected, was an unnecessary reflection.

Ah well.

After breakfast, Shingetsu made to thank Shou as politely as possible. As expected, Shou got a little flustered, muttering something along the lines of "it was nothing." He knew he probably shouldn't mess with multiple people, but it was really too easy sometimes.

Speaking of messing with people. Shingetsu had saved a strip of the pork, and, once excused from the table, wasted no time in hanging it off one of the masts. He the strung a rope around it, threaded it around the mast and a higher one, and attaching a brick to the other end. The idea was that the strip would be removed from the rope, thus removing what little prevented the brick's fall. It had been balanced carefully.

Before too long, he saw the brick fall, heard a thunk, and then another thunk. A knockout, perhaps?

Shingetsu carefully made his way down the mast, his wings allowing for a spiderlike descent. He reached the bottom, and his face slowly went from expectant to vexed.

The idea here was to catch Nue. Shingetsu doubted she would take the form of a girl with a tongue umbrella.

"Well now…" Shingetsu mused, considering his position. She was probably at least known of around here. She looked young enough to accurately recount exactly what had happened and think nothing of it, and Shingetsu didn't want to give Nue something to gloat about until he specifically wanted her off guard.

It occurred to him that it wasn't very nice to think in these terms. On the other hand, consciences are for people with lives.

Shingetsu gently picked her up, and then considered the umbrella. It was certainly very remarkable, and looked alive. Therefore, it should probably be taken along too. And so, he dropped the girl (*Thump*), picked up the umbrella, and held it gently in his wings. The girl was then picked back up, and Shingetsu wandered off into the forest next to the temple.

It was about ten minutes before she came to. Shingetsu had spent the majority of that time slowly shredding a tree with his wings, in the vague hope it would sharpen them. It didn't, really; they were sharp enough to slice chains already. But it passed the time. The girl's immediate reaction, however, caused the wings to splay out, and so one was stuck quite firmly in the tree.

That reaction was to yell, very loudly, "Urameshiya!"

Shingetsu took about three seconds to stare at the tree and settle his nerves. The girl was laughing a bit too hard to notice, and took a further five seconds to do that, during which Shingetsu realized he'd forgotten where the temple was.

_Stop being useless, head._

"So who are ya, umbrella girl?" Shingetsu's tone was carefully neutral. He figured they were about even now.

The girl, on the other hand, practically bubbled with energy. "I'm Kogasa Tatara, a karakasa! Who're you?"

_A karakasa? Well, it explains the umbrella. I think. Although, honestly, who would make an umbrella with a tongue in? Kinky or just depraved?_

"Shingetsu iforgotmylastname, mist extraordinaire. Or something like that. I forget things a lot, these days…"

"Really? How old are ya?"

_Very straightforward of you… Um… Wait, how old am I? Drat._ "…I don't know. How old do I look?"

"Maybe eighteen or twenty by human standards."

Shingetsu nodded. "Works for me. Twenty-two at most. I looked like this before that bloody bamboo forest, and I was in there for two years and all."

Kogasa's eyes widened. "Are you immortal like the others there?"

Shingetsu smiled, and began trying to tear his wing out of the tree. "Yep. In a different way, though. I reform and regenerate rather than resurrect."

Kogasa jumped up immediately. "Let's go tell everyone at Myouren! It'll surprise them!" And with that, she was off with quite a turn of speed.

Shingetsu tried much harder. He didn't bother calling after her; she was moving too fast. He did, however, complain at the tree.

"Bloody memory, bloody tree, bloody mouth, bloody hell and corpses and… Why am I thinking of corpses? Um, wait, I was sure I could see. What…"

_About bloody time. You'd think a proper summoner would be punctual. I'll bet she'll have an excuse, too._

_It had better be a good one. I'm feeling really irritated, and I can't figure out why, and that's making me more irritated._

_And trees popped into my head, of all things. I ask you. On the border of the Sanzu river, and I think of trees. Let's hope that red cape girl has something interesting; I may just be going insane here._

_It's possible I already was. Supposedly that's why they put me in here. I remember everything perfectly, up until that point. Then there's an image of bamboo and that's it. Very annoying._

_In fact, thinking about all of that has made me more annoyed. I need to kill something._


	7. Interlude 1

The Sanzu river. The legendary crossing for all dead souls. On this particular bank, many pink, tendriled flowers bloom. However, they are interrupted by two figures; A rather short, undeveloped yama, and a rather tall, overdeveloped reaper.

One can practically feel the envy.

"Miss Eiki?" The reaper speaks.

"What is it, Komachi..?" And the yama replies, if reluctantly. She firmly believes conversation is equivalent with eye contact, and that puts an object of envy within sight. Two, actually.

"Do you remember…" She pauses here, correcting herself. "…Remember the New Moon?"

The capital letters in those words have gravity enough to be noticed even without type. The yama is tense as she answers.

"I do. What about it?"

"Well… Our procedure has… Fallen apart. The... Loose end is… Well… Loose."

Silence reigns in tension for a few moments, while envy persistently sticks around.

"…Can you deal with it quietly, Komachi?"

"I think so… But are you sure? Should I check on the… Other one, too?"

The yama considers this for a while. "Yes, check on the other end first. Is that all?"

The reaper relaxes as she continues. "Actually, one of the other yamas did want me to give you this little package. I don't know what's in it."

The yama relaxes as well, but curiosity elicits silence once more as she opens it.

And then the relaxation drains out to be replaced by fury. The reaper, well used to this, senses it and backs away.

"I'll just go and get to it, shall I?"

She gets away in time. The yama explodes just a half-minute later, yelling with a voice that sounds like it belongs to someone three times her size.

She also kind of wishes she had a knife handy, just to take advantage of the joke.


	8. Chapter 7

We see before us now a large study. Two walls are covered in bookshelves, facing eachother. One wall sports a giant window, the other a giant door. Various desks, chairs, and organizers have all been neatly confined to the corners of the room to make space for a large pentacle; a five-point star within a circle, which is attached to five other interlocking circles. Each circle is made of two parallel lines with space between them, and numerous runes, lines, and shapes.

A second pentacle, a small six-point star in a circle, sits in front of it. Standing here is a five foot five girl with red hair, red eyes, red clothes with white lining, and a red cape with black on the inside. She holds a book in one hand and carefully speaks an incantation.

The whole incantation takes about three minutes, at the end of which she gasps for breath as a figure slowly materializes in the center of the pentacle.

It carries with it an air of irritation and a scythe sharp enough to slice chains. It waits a few seconds, then speaks in a dark, leaden tone; one reminscient of coffin doors slamming shut.

"Who dares summon Shingetsu Arke, outcast reaper, dread of mortals, the N-"

"Yumemi Okazaki does!" The red one replies with vigor. "The pentacle is perfectly built. You ARE subject to my command!"

The reaper regards her carefully for a moment before responding. "And what order might you dare give me, little one?"

The reaper had been expecting a pause as she got her words together, so that he might not find a loophole or ambiguity. But she replied immediately.

"Your target is Fujiwara No Mokou, an immortal human in the Bamboo Forest of The Lost. You shall enter her home, without being detected by anyone or anything, until such time as you can kill her without anyone or anything else noticing. You will take out her guts and bring them back here to me without being detected by anyone or anything. At no time during this shall you deviate from your mission or harm any other being or thing, dead or alive. And if I feel you have failed me somehow or attempted to work against me, I may very well summon you into a bottle and leave you there for eternity."

The reaper carefully analyzed her orders. There was a possibility to mess with her, but she seemed powerful enough to carry out her threat. True, he was technically trapped already, but at least it was in a manor.

_Sanzu River_

Komachi Onozuka floats down the river in her boat, happy to have finally reached the manor where _he _had been sealed. She disembarked, walked up to the door, and slammed it open.

"Heeeey! You in here? C'mon out!"

There is no response. Usually there is one… And it feels empty, too.

Komachi's face turns pale as a feeling of dread coalesces in the pit of her stomach. She immediately runs in, calling out as she searches the house, but there is no-one to be found. Finally she wanders out, and sits down on the steps, head in hands.

"Miss Eiki's gonna kill me…"

_Hakugyokurou_

"Youmu?" A gentle voice calls out. It sounds female, mature, expectant.

"Hungry again, Yuyuko-sama?" And coming back is an ever-so-slightly harassed tone, but a nevertheless loyal one. Young, female, and very calm.

"Yes, but besides that. Let's go visit Myouren."

Youmu stops, a little surprised at this. "I thought you didn't like it much there?"

Her mistress replies, "It isn't much for eating, so you'll have to carry more food. I just happen to feel like going right now, is all~"

Youmu sighs. She knew better than to try and pry out whatever it was. "Very well, Yuyuko-sama. I'll start packing…"

_Mugenkan_

There are few in Gensokyo who don't know the name Yuuka Kazami, the Sleeping Terror, the Flower Master of the Four Seasons, the Dream-Border Youkai.

She leaned back in her chair happily, tea in one hand and a book in the other. Life is good when you have titles. Of course, the best way to get more titles is to beat up people who have some of their own.

Her book was borrowed from Akyuu, and detailed the more notable denizens of Gensokyo. She had just learned of Eientei, which is why she was smiling.

She'd never beaten up an immortal before. Or had she? She couldn't quite remember. Maybe Gengetsu and Mugetsu counted?

Ah well…

She spoke in a tone just above quiet, with all the subtlety and hidden thorns of a rose. "Elly, dear, go and pack for a little trip."

Her gate guard, a youngish girl with blonde hair in a white and kind-of-red dress, turned around with a look of mild surprise. She carries a boomerang scythe somewhat nonchalantly, and seems to expect attack at any moment.

Her stance suggests she expects it mainly from Yuuka. "Where are we going, Miss Kazami?"

"You'll see, dear. I think you'll like it." Elly cringes as Yuuka grins. "I'm certainly going to enjoy myself… Oh yes…"

_Somewhere_

"MASTER SPARK!"

A huge beam of white light shoots forth from a small octagonal device, obliterating several fairies. The black-white witch, Marisa Kirisame, has just discovered an old rival is traveling, and sees a chance for a good fight.

_Nowhere_

"Maybe I have too many books…"

The book youkai, Tokiko, has just read about the existence of Voile, the magic library. She now intends to travel, but is hesitant; the place is supposed to be dangerous. So you should get a guide, yes? The Bamboo Forest apparently had one…

She might find it easier to travel if she didn't try to take every book she owned.

_Take a wild guess_

Suwako Moriya, only reliable controller of the Mishaguji and former Moriya goddess, sits on a lilypad and contemplates events. Everyone seemed to have taken a sudden interest in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. The tengu reporters had all gone off, even Aya. Kanako had said something about opportunities and taken along Sanae.

Suwako wasn't sure. She was still the most powerful god, and you didn't get that way by rushing into things…

This required study. After she visited Shizuha, of course. It was courteous, she thought, to help out younger gods.

_How the hell should I know?_

The master of the Former Hell of Blazing Fires, Satori Komeiji, sits in the Palace of Earth Spirits, her two favorite pets before her.

Both had asked several times to go outside, to Eientei, yet neither truly knew why. This was vexing and a little worrying. If it weren't for Koishi already wandering off, Satori would have said no. She still wanted to do so, but Yuugi and some others had all left too.

It probably wouldn't hurt to take a quick look…

Misery.

Mystery.

Mistery.

Mist.

Mist loves company. It's pretty good at arranging things so said company occurs at the right time. There are certain oni who know this well and use it to throw parties.

That's why oni are always happy. They don't usually concern themselves with serious things. Why bother, after all? Most serious things are only serious because everyone decided they should be.


	9. Chapter 8: Komachi

_Komachi_

Well, today is shaping up to be pretty darn horrible. First, everything starts going to hell with New Moon. Then, when I have to go check on the big one, he's missing! I can't think of anything worse… Oh, wait, yes I can, the lecture I'll get when I bring this back to Miss Eiki.

_Komachi gently allows her boat to flow down the Sanzu while she pities herself concerning the inevitable lecture. But then she notices a soul drifting down the stream. It doesn't look familiar, and she would know; she usually chats with the spirits she transports. So she fishes him out, and her face becomes even paler as recognition kicks in._

"Oh hell… Please no…"

The spirit pulled enough of itself together to speak. "…Where am I? Ah… Well… At least I'm not stuck in that tree anymore… Who're you?"

I swallowed down the rising dread inside me and replied. "You're in the Sanzu River, where the dead go. I'm Komachi, a ferrywoman. Erm… D'you remember your name, by any chance?"

"Shingetsu somethingorother. I forgot my last name. I'm good with mist, though."

I was probably twitching. I think I made a kind of strangled noise. I don't really remember, because my head was spinning at the time. "That's… That's nice…"

"So am I dead, then? Last I checked I wasn't very good at dying."

I took a moment to decide how to answer this. Technically it was my fault he was immortal, if only because I'd suggested it. I hadn't actually done it, but I still felt guilty. Which is why I didn't tell him that. "Umm, how about we go see the yama? I bet she'll know what to do." See? Technically not a lie.

There was silence for a bit, and then... "How much would you bet, exactly?"

I sighed, and muttered "Right now, not a whole hell of a lot…"

"What, is she drunk or something at the moment?"

I couldn't help myself; I just started laughing. Miss Eiki, drunk. The very thought of it…

…Gave me a great idea.

"Not yet. But if you'll play along, she will be…"

Shi-… That is, the spirit grinned. I had him pegged right; the mischievous type. I probably didn't need to avoid his name now, but old habits die hard. Or in my case, sleep hard.

It didn't take me very long to get back to where I usually meet Miss Eiki. She was there, waiting for me. And when saw my passenger, her eyes went wide and her face a little pale. I took a bottle of sake out from underneath my skirt; it had been suspended there by a series of string. I kept it hidden behind me for the moment.

I put on my best the-end-is-near face and stepped onto the banks with… The New Moon spirit.

"Miss Eiki, Miss Eiki! We've got major problems!" I said, running up to her. I made sure to bounce a little, too. Like I said, old habits die hard.

The spirit floated alongside me. He had a pretty good grasp of what I wanted, too. He said, "Heya, kid. My name's Shingetsu Iforgotmylastname… Have ya seen a yama around here anywhere?"

I slipped to Miss Eiki's side, pulled out my sake, took a quick sip, and did as I always did; gestured toward her with it and asked "Fancy a drop?"

Normally she lectures me about drinking. This time, she opened her mouth, and then slowly closed it. With a look of extreme irritation, she very deliberately snatches the bottle and downs the whole thing all at once.

I can't even do that, and I'm twice her size.

Then she slams the thing down on the ground (She didn't have to bend over much) and proceeds to yell, but not at me. It felt kinda weird not being the subject of her yelling, for once; I'm not usually around when she yells at other people.

I'd quote what she said, but it was mostly nonsense. I heard the word black a number of times, and I think at one point she was ranting about not being a child, and then towards the end she may have been yelling at me for being overdeveloped… But I guess she's a lightweight, because she fell over, asleep, once she ran out of breath. The spirit watched all this in silence, and when it was over, he said "Bloody good show. What now?"

"I dunno" I replied. "Want some sake?"

Yes, I still had some left. Eiki always confiscates the first bottle, so I always have two. I don't know where she puts 'em all, but somewhere there's a lot of bottles with a single gulp out of 'em that I offered her.

The spirit looked around and at himself. "I don't think I can hold things right now, nice as that would be."

I shrugged, and took a gulp anyway. I then considered what to do with Miss Eiki. It didn't take me very long to decide; she looked adorable, and besides, she also looked relaxed. That didn't happen often.

So, leaving her sleeping body there, I decided the best way to fix this was to make the heroic and inevitably suicidal attempt to end it. So I took a deep breath, a deep swig of sake…

"C'mon, Shingetsu. We've got somewhere to be and someone to beat up."

"Sure, works for me. Lead the way, Koma."

Koma, huh? I could get used to that. It was kinda cute. If I was clever, maybe I could get Eiki to call me that a few times before the alcohol left her system, later on.

If I lived, anyway. Which, all things considered, wasn't likely. But that's why I have sake.

To convince myself I have even the faintest chance of beating the New Moon Reaper and forcing his other side back into him. And then somehow giving that side enough power to take over.

I'm pretty sure this wasn't in my job description. Then again, I don't do my job the way it's described anyway.


	10. Chapter 9: Youmu

(A/N: These specific chapters will likely be shorter than my usual ones. Don't worry; I'll make up for it with longer chapters afterwards.)

_Youmu_

Packing for the trip to Myouren wasn't very hard. Since Yuyuko-sama is a ghost and I'm a half-ghost, we don't need much. Or at least we wouldn't if not for the food.

Lots and lots of food…

I did have an unexpected comfort. A book had appeared in my room; almost certainly Yukari messing around again, but in this case it was welcome. It detailed a story about an outcast shinigami. I couldn't tell whether it was true or not, because so far the book refused to say how and where he was sealed, and even what his name was; it referred to him only as the New Moon Reaper.

"Youmuuuuuu! I'm hungryyyyy!"

For perhaps the thousandth time in my life, I bit back the first reply to come to mind. I really don't dislike Yuyuko-sama. But it gets to the point where sometimes I would even put those blasted ears back on just to get some of those fairy maids the Scarlet Mansion has.

"If you eat it now, you won't have it around for when we're at Myouren. And you know they usually don't have meat there."

I don't look back to see if she's pouting, but I know she is. I've served her for some hundreds of years, after all.

We were taking a foot trail, much to my chagrin. Apparently Yuyuko-sama felt like taking the scenic route.

I had returned my attention to the book, and I passed a good few hours that way. During this time I learned more, but at an agonizingly slow rate. One of the most interesting things I found was that, among those reapers who sealed him, a single ferrywoman was also chosen, since the shinigami being sealed had both talents. And her name was Komachi. I remembered her; it was due to her laziness there were so many evil spirits around, that one time. We actually met and fought later, because of some sort of temperance matter involving a celestial.

I reminded myself to ask her about this later. Perhaps she'd know something, perhaps she wouldn't. At least it would get me farther than this book was likely to.

Towards the end of the book, I learned something alarming; apparently a piece of the shinigami's soul was severed, and became a separate being that was released. Apparently it was part of the seal. All very well, but…

Released _where?_

Hmm…

_Hmm…_

_Where am I? How unfamiliar. I keep getting vague sensations of things. Am I unconscious? I think I am. Or was. How very strange. Nothing but gray and white all around. I wonder where I am. Maybe I should sing the lost song again. Lost, lost, hopelessly lost…_

I blinked a few times. Had I really just thought all that?

I focused. It felt like something had passed through me. Unconsciously, I had both my swords drawn. Yuyuko-sama, of course, snuck up behind me and yelled "Boo!" as loud as possible.

I remember screaming and attacking the nearest thing (a tree) and then yelling again and falling over backwards, where I lay for a while with blood pounding in my head.

Like I said, Yuyuko-sama can be a bit much for me to handle sometimes. But this time, I decided I desperately needed to take my anger out on something. Because, no later than three seconds after I fell down, a familiar pair of legs ran right over me, yelling for a spirit to slow down. Komachi Onozuka.

I would've got up and questioned her, but I was a little run-down. Literally.

"Are you okay, Youmu?"

Ah, well. I suppose in the end Yuyuko-sama _does _care. She just has a very strange way of showing it sometimes. I think it's mainly to get me to loosen up, but I've never been comfortable with the idea.

I took thirty seconds to rest and get my breath back, and a further thirty to furiously shred the aforementioned tree. After that, we continued on our journey to Myouren. I must admit I was very surprised at the sight that greeted me; where there should have been the temple, it had instead been floated in the sky to act as shade for what looked like a huge festival. Many I recognized, many I didn't. There was one face, though, that I desperately wished wasn't there. Unfortunately, she saw me first and grinned.

How many times do I have to get beaten up today…?


	11. Chapter 10: Yuuka

_Yuuka_

I took my time about it. Eientei sounded interesting, but anything worth having is worth being patient for. So, I sedately strode through my mansion, picking out whatever I thought I should bring. In the end, it came down to a short list; some seeds, a few changes of clothes, my spellcards, some food and water, and a miniature hakkero. The last item was very special; I don't use hakkero, simply because I don't need them. But this one was very _specially _made for a certain spell thief, and I had a lucky feeling about where I was going. After all, ever since I perfected my Dual Spark, she practically does the job of finding her for me.

My servant, guard, maid, and generally my slave to do with whatever I wished, Elly… She had differing ideas, and was packing everything she could think of. It didn't matter much to me one way or the other; if she slowed up and I had to punish her, it was no trouble for me.

Of course, I made sure my appearance was impeccable, and I made sure to water my umbrella. How's that for a sentence you never thought you'd hear? It's actually the only flower in Gensokyo that doesn't wither. But, wither-proof or not, it _does _look nicer when it's happy. And of course, I always have a smile on.

When she was finally ready, it didn't actually look like she was carrying much, to my surprise.

"Elly, I thought I saw you packing quite a lot. It seems a bit small to me."

She smiled. She would be in a good mood for a while, less careful about making sure not to provoke me; she liked being out of the mansion grounds. "Yeah! I hid some of it under my skirt, but mainly I'm just really good at packing!"

I nod, and then walk slowly and serenely towards the little dimensional gate that she guards 24/7. If the world were divided into squares, she would be in the one directly southwest to me, and, as I know, she will keep this position consistently until we reach our destination.

Our gate comes out in a lake of blood in a secluded area of Gensokyo. A vampire named Kurumi is usually guarding it, because after all, it's a lake of blood. She dares not show herself before me, though. She's not suicidal. The fact that she doesn't show up as we pass by… That, all by itself, makes me smile a bit more. It's good to be properly respected; that is, with the proper mix of fear and awe.

We make our way slowly towards Eientei. Nothing gets in our way for a while, but finally someone does. As we pass near the Scarlet Devil Mansion, a familiar ice fairy jumps out in front of me, and yells something about being the strongest. Or at least, I think she did. It sounded a little like she was saying her eye was the strongest. Personally, I think Satori has that claim.

Elly wasted no time in throwing her scythe. I was mildly impressed at the fairy's reaction; freeze the scythe and throw it back. Still, I train Elly personally on a daily basis in the art of avoiding attacks; she steps just to the side, grabs it as it passes, and waves her hand. Several tiles of dirt rise and spin slowly at her command, but the fairy has just yelled the name of a spellcard.

At this point, I intervene. She doesn't seem worth it, but she _is _an ice fairy, and that's not good for my flower.

"Flower Terror…"

Elly gasps in terror, and flings herself to the side…

The ice fairy does a pose, laughing…

I grin.

"DUAL SPARK!"

I split in two temporarily, just for this spell. Both of my selves point the umbrella at the ice fairy, and each fire a laser superior to the Master Spark in raw concentrated power, if not in range; but there's two of them, so it makes up for itself. Needless to say, the fairy gets obliterated.

The second the spell is over, I lay my umbrella gently over one shoulder, the picture of graceful composure. Elly is still somewhat shaken, but has also learned a care for her weapon; she immediately becomes focused on her scythe, and breaks the ice off meticulously. I start walking again, and she hurriedly keeps pace lest she incur my wrath.

The rest of the trip goes well, but upon reaching Eientei, I found it empty. I was particularly vexed by this, but thankfully there were a few rabbits left behind that I terrorized into giving me a direction; Myouren Temple.

It sounded unfamiliar, so naturally I assumed there would be lots of people I didn't know about that I could beat up. I and Elly made it there before very long, and found a curious sight; A large boat-temple thing suspended in the air, acting as the marker for what looked like a festival.

And I hadn't been invited. That's alright, though. I always invite myself.

I was about to raise my umbrella and blow a hole in whoever caught my attention first, but Elly quickly begged me not to just randomly fire at people.

So I glanced over to the other side, and noticed some others walking in. One of them, the serious one, looked at me and paled. Good, she recognized me. But I didn't recognize her. So, obviously, the solution would be to introduce myself in proper Gensokyo fashion.

To wit, beat her up.

I grinned at her, and replied to Elly as I strode forward.

"Don't worry, my dear. I won't be firing haphazardly. But it won't matter much anyway. I want to try this little toy."

With that, I slipped out the hakkero. Why not give it a test run, after all?

Besides, the girl's eyes were already wide as plates. I could hardly terrorize her further, so I probably wasn't going to try.

But then, that's a lie.


	12. Chapter 11: Marisa

(A/N: You should all listen to "She's Purity" by RD-Sounds. It was the main force behind this chapter. Good music puts me in a writing mood.)

_Marisa_

Marisa Kirisame, the black-white witch residing in the Forest Of Magic, was traveling.

Most people would consider travel a rather docile affair. She considered it to be a high-speed endeavor filled with lasers.

She was widely known as a thief, a shameless flirt, and a destructive maniac. Among those who knew her, she was also considered haphazard and disorganized as a magician. Nevertheless, she was tolerated because Reimu tolerated her; and even then, that was only because she turned her lasers to solving some of the incidents that happened on a regular basis, even if her reasons weren't exactly selfless.

Still, it was generally agreed that, once she was done with her transparent lies, she was at least honest about herself.

_I can be honest about myself. If I'm not, then I'm not me, and I don't think I'd be good at not being me, ze~_

This morning I learned that the Buddhists were throwing this whole big party. Now I'm all for parties, especially if there's something worth fighting, ze. But just as I was preparing to leave, the idiot ice fairy walks by my house, ranting angrily. When I asked her why, she said it was Yuuka's fault.

Yuuka Kazami! I've been meaning to beat her for a while now; that way, she might stop getting after me about borrowing her Master Spark spell. So I spent several more minutes gearing up. Today's the day!

But I have to get there first. I considered using Blazing Star to make it there, but I don't want to risk running into Reimu or Mokou. Both of them can beat me up pretty hard. So although I'm going at normal speed, I've consoled myself by Master Spark-ing anything that catches my eye. So far, I'm up to twelve fairies, six youkai, two humans, three fuzzballs, two gods, and a shrine maiden. However, there was a third human who I didn't shoot because she was wearing a bright red hat with white clothing.

Basically I've taught myself to shoot at anything that isn't red and white during these trips of mine. Reimu is red-white, and so is Mokou. It's very simple, but sometimes unfortunate. For instance, there was one time the ice fairy replaced all the blue in her clothing with red and challenged me. It was very nerve-wracking, shooting at her then. I still won, of course.

As I flew, I nailed a few more fairies and a bird youkai in quick succession. To my suprise, the bird youkai got back up in the air and pointed a despairingly familiar cannon at me.

Utsuho Reiuji, the hell raven. The only one who outmatches me in sheer firepower, and she doesn't have the common courtesy to wear some red and white.

"Marisaaaa!" She yells, flaming black wings spread wide. "I'll disintegrate you! PETA FLARE!"

I reply in kind. "MASTER SPARK!"

Here's the thing. Master Spark is a big white laser of raw power. Pretty wide, all-around useful. Peta Flare is a HUGE blast of raw power in the form of flames, solar energy, and nuclear fusion. So even though I fired off my Spark, I angled my broom downwards, intending to use Blazing Star to get away…

…But she brought the hell cat with her. Aargh…

"The Needles Of Yore And The Vengeful Spirits In Pain!" she intones. Needles fit her well, I think. I just don't like seeing them pointed at me. I hate that card.

"Master Spark!"

Wait, what? That wasn't me…

Oh hell, Satori's here! …Pun not intended.

"BLAZING STAR! Sorry, but I got a party to get to, ze~!"

That WAS me. I'm getting out of here; I'm not so brazen as to think I can take on three particularly high-level youkai at once. But I did make sure they know I'm not running; I'm just late, that's all, ze~

Considering all the gear and spells I have with me, I coulda taken them; but I'm saving it for Yuuka. I don't fear being chased, either, since Satori'll probably calm them down, ze~. Still, I refrain from randomly shooting anyone else on my way there.

I must admit, I was surprised; I was still a ways away, and I could already see the Palanquin, airborne again. And… Yes, there was Yuuka, as I got closer. It looked like she was about to fight someone already.

I don't mind watching a good fight. Besides, it might tire Yuuka out, ze.

Or possibly not. Although her opponent is Youmu, who is quite tough, I doubt she can match Yuuka. The duel started quickly; Youmu started with one of her big slashy cards, human soul or something like that. Yuuka used her flower sign; not the one she used during the flower incident, though. This one was different, and it seemed a lot more difficult. To my amazement, Youmu got hit within seconds. I tried to recall the name of her spell… Ah, yes. "Flower Sign ~ Skunk Cabbage"

… What?

Youmu then used one of her Hell God spells. Yuuka retaliated with her beauty of nature thingy. This time, the match lasted a little longer. A couple of times, though, it seems she grazed really close intentionally; just playing around. Eventually, Youmu got hit again. She began to call out her next spell, but then Yuuka did something that dropped my jaw. She pulled out what looked like a mini hakkero, wedged it on the end of her umbrella, and used Dual Spark.

It didn't look like her usual Dual Spark. I couldn't tell if it was more powerful or not, but it WAS faster, and hit Youmu while she was busy preparing her spell; she wasn't expecting that card, I suppose.

Yuuka then floated back down to the ground, where her gatekeeper was waiting. I forget what her name was, though I think I might have beat her up once. Still, this wasn't about her. This was my chance to beat Yuuka once and for all, ze~!


	13. Chapter 12: Tokiko

[A/N: I am so hopped up on sugar right now you have no idea YES I KNOW THIS IS LATE SHUT UP.]

_Tokiko_

A large red tank drove through the demon world gate into Gensokyo. Shinki had recently reopened it because she wanted to travel.

It had been a whirlwind of a day for Tokiko. Whilst devising a way to take all her books with her, Rika had stopped by and offered to take her in a tank which could carry them. Apparently she'd been ordered to pick up a passenger and go to Myouren, which was near Eientei. This passenger turned out to be Shinki, who for some reason had taken great interest in Rika, who found this to be a nerve-wracking development. Shinki also seemed quite happy to meet Tokiko, what with her ability to create razor winds.

"So what's your bra size? I mean, your tanks are big, but they're also modest and practical, so I imagine you'd match up somehow." That was Shinki, who had spent the last half-hour asking questions. That had been fine up til ten minutes ago, when they began to get increasingly embarrassing.

"U-umm… I don't w-wear one…" And Rika, who had just finished a question concerning her panties, was red in the face and trying very hard to concentrate on the road. I could tell she was itching to shoot something just to cause a distraction, so I had my hands close to my ears. This meant I had to read my book quite close to my face, but it was a small price to pay.

"Come now, you've never tried? Would you like me to feel and tell you?"

Thankfully she hadn't started on me. I was doing my best to fade into the foreground so she wouldn't notice me.

"N-no! I-I'm just fine, thank you!"

"Are you suuuure?"

BOOM!

It turns out my precaution was completely necessary. An ice fairy had jumped in our path and was starting to yell something when Rika obliterated her. Shinki, who had somehow not seen this coming, staggered back and stayed a moment on the back wall of the spacious cockpit. She opened her mouth again before very long, though.

"You know, if you'd just strip down real quick, I could-"

But Rika had connected "Shoot something" with "Shinki shuts up."

BOOM! Down went a tree.

…"I could-"

BOOM! Hole in a cloud.

"Could-"

BOOM! No telling where that one would land. At this point, Shinki tried using a spell to make the tank stop. Evidently she didn't understand mechanics.

"Could stroke-"

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

All of us paused for a moment to look the situation over. We'd just blown a hole in what looked like a big red mansion. At first, nothing happened; there were a few minutes of silence while we all tried to come up with an excuse. But then someone wearing a maid outfit appeared in the hole, shouted something at us, and then flew at us, throwing knives. Rika was not so easily intimidated, though.

BOOM!

A platoon of flower tanks behind us all fired at once, hitting the maid squarely and causing a large explosion. The knives plinked off the tank's armor, scratching the paint at worst.

"Time to jet outta here!" Said Rika, happy to have a distraction. That said, the flower tanks immediately attached to the big one and provided a sort of speed boost with which we made an escape. It took a good while before we actually made it to our destination. It was pretty impressive, what with the whole ship-in-the-sky thing, but you feel a little high and mighty when you're traveling with a goddess who created an entire world.

We were just in time to see something that made us all pay rapt attention.

Lady Kazami about to beat the hell out of that annoying witch!


	14. Chapter 13: Suwako

(A/N: This chapter brought to you by Rain Dance, by Odyssey. Also, Prayer, by C-Clays.)

_Suwako_

The day started like any other day, really. I suppose everyone else was busy running around and doing extraordinary things, but for me it was unremarkable. If anyone ever tells you that god and goddesses live glamorous lives, you should humiliate them. If we live such great lives, then why would we bother taking interest in mortals?

Some mortals understand this. Warlords and kings, mainly. Those who have it all and realize, "What do I do now?"

I woke up and wandered blindly around my bedroom for a minute or two. Contrary to popular belief, I'm really not a morning person; the earth wakes slowly. I eventually figured out where my clothing is, and staggered into the kitchen where dear Sanae would have something for me to eat, sweet and caring as she is. I couldn't be prouder of my descendant.

My first clue that something was up was when I found that there was salt in the coffee and sugar on the meat.

"Sanae, are you alright? You seem… Distracted." I said this as I carefully shifted the meat on my plate.

"Mm? Oh, it's… Nothing, I suppose. I just feel out of it today. I was thinking I could travel around Gensokyo a bit, maybe take my mind off of whatever's nagging me."

My second clue came later that morning, when instead of Aya's newspaper was a note saying she was going to the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the quickest when it comes to figuring things out, but not noticing it then was a little slow even for me; Sanae had been staring in that direction all morning.

Just a half-hour later, Kanako woke up (Late as always) and started rambling about opportunities. I should have listened but, honestly, the last time I did that I ended up getting punished by the red-white for not stopping her. So if I don't know, it's not my fault, whatever it is. She then took Sanae along and marched out, literally off to do gods-know-what.

I'd count that as my third clue, but it was pretty routine. No, my third clue was Nitori, Hina, and a few others all leaving the mountain. And just like Aya, a few left notes. Their destination? The bamboo forest.

I spent some time thinking on my favorite lilypad after that. I was, and am, the oldest and most powerful goddess currently existing within Gensokyo. Yukari might be older than me, but she's a youkai, so she doesn't count.

I figured I'd look into it for Sanae's sake, but first I wanted to check on Shizuha. But guess where she and her sister had gone? Needless to say, I made haste. At that point in time, the one thing going through my mind was that, the last time something gathered everyone, there had been earthquakes. And unless I'm the one causing it, I don't like earthquakes.

Besides, you don't need anything more than a little tremor to get the flies off the food, _accidentally_ doing it just as a certain snake goddess takes a mouthful, usually making her eat the utensil in question. If I'm lucky, it'll be soup, and it'll splash her face to boot.

We fight just as much as Mokou and Kaguya. We just do it differently. Besides, it passes the time.

It didn't take me very long to find what I was looking for; after all, something was intentionally drawing people here.

I ignored the floating palanquin. The youkai and humans together. Kanako getting drunk. Yuuka with a hakkero. The big red tank. Remilia glaring daggers at the big red tank. The black-white whatshername getting obliterated. The Taoists coming in behind me.

I'd spotted Komachi. She had a spirit with her, looked nervous, and was definitely the center.

…And yet not. It seemed the center of this attraction was somewhere between her and… Mokou? Interesting. I really didn't know what to make of it.

At least, not until the maniacal laughter and the fight started. I saw who was doing the laughing; some strawberry-colored girl in a cape. That was worrying.

The fight, on the other hand…

It was time I considered taking a form a little less short.


End file.
